Wilson Audio, Talon, Rockport and B&W

I did extensive listening recently to the new B & W 800D's.A very nice speaker with a much more coherent sound than the old 800's. I thought that they had very tubby, loose bass. I also did a lot of listening to the VR 9 SE's at the recent CES. Those are breathtaking speakers, but at 60k a pop, they should be. I currently have Dynaudio Temptations which have a beautiful, clear coherent sound, but really like the REL Stentor which I recently added. If I had unlimited funds, and a big room, I would buy the VR9's in a heartbeat. Since I don't, I am very happy with the Dyn's (for now). I don't know anyhting about the VR7's but they are certainly worth a listen.

David

I listened to all of these speakers, and more and chose the WP7s. But what on earth does that have to do with what YOU like?

I really would skip the 7s and look to Maxx2s. I prefer them to the Firebirds a few friends have fwiw, and also with my limited experience with the Rockports at CES this year.

Mbadscl,

In there respective systems.

The Watt Puppy 7 I was not impressed with at all it was dull, lifeless and muddy.

The new B&W 800D driven by the MF KW500 was a dream to listen to. My only complaint was the bass was a little over powering.

The SonusFaber Stradivarius were also a dream to listen to. Again my only complaint was the bass was a little muddy.

Ok now for the important stuff. As I stated in their respective systems and rooms. At this price point thouroughly audition each speaker even if means packing up your gear and taking it to the dealer. You will then eliminate everything but your room.

Michael

I've auditioned the Firebirds and WP7s at length, and the B&Ws for a briefer period. All are excellent speakers and your preference will definitely come down to taste. All three are solid companies, with Wilson and B&W having even longer histories, important points to consider with any purchase. I ended up purchasing the JM Lab Nova Utopias which I found created a more lifelike listening experience for me. That said, all of the speakers you list will require careful matching of components and that choice can easily make or break the magic or lack of it you hear. I recall first hearing the Nova Utopias with BAT gear (very fine stuff, no doubt) but to my ears this combo created signifcant discontinuity of the berryllium tweeter and the rest of the drivers. I quickly dismissed the speakers only to hear them several months later with Burmester gear and being floored by the seamless convincing picture. As stated by the others here, listen to each as optimally set up as possible. I would recommend adding to your list, however, JM Labs Nova Utopias, Verity Audio Sarastros, the Von Schweikert VR7se, and potentially the Dali Megalines.

Good luck and enjoy. Half the fun is the search.

Sam